On the world’s coldest stage, a military musician plays with a plastic horn and double gloves

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ANTHONY POWELL/Antarctica New Zealand

In this photo provided by Antarctica New Zealand, Natalie Paine plays a plastic French horn at Scott Base in Antarctica, on Nov. 16, 2025. (Anthony Powell/Antarctica New Zealand via AP)

WELLINGTON – On the frozen edge of the world, staying in practice as a professional musician takes ingenuity, grit and a plastic instrument for schoolchildren that’s guaranteed not to freeze to your fingers or face.

Natalie Paine is a French horn player in New Zealand ’s navy who since October has been among 21 military members stationed in Antarctica . There, her melodies drift across the frozen Ross Sea from perhaps the most remote practice room on Earth.

“It’s beautiful and very inspiring,” Paine told the Associated Press. “I’ll sit there by the windo